Overnight leader Gregory Bourdy and Robert-Jan Derksen were locked in a seemingly head-to-head battle for the UBS Hong Kong Open title with the Frenchman holding a one shot lead midway through the final round.
Bourdy moved into a two shot lead over Derksen with a sublime seven under par 63 yesterday but saw his advantage halved as the Dutchman reached the turn in two under with his playing partner one under though nine.
Both missed the green at the par three eighth to ship their only bogeys, with Bourdy posting his back-to-back birdies with long putts of 25 and 40 feet.
Raphaël Jacquelin and Ian Poulter charged into contention to join Rory McIlory a further three shots off the pace, although it appears to be too late to catch runaway duo Bourdy and Derksen.
Jacquelin, through 15, and Barclays Singapore Open champion Poulter, a hole behind, were five under for their rounds with McIlroy reaching the turn with two gains to his name to improve to 13 under par.
Meanwhile, The Race to Dubai leader Lee Westwood finished a difficult week with a four over par 74 to slip to one under overall. His fourth round contained just one birdie against three bogeys and a double bogey.
The Portugal Masters champion currently leads McIlroy by just €52,321 at the top of the rankings ahead of next week’s season ending Dubai World Championship presented by: DP World, although that is set to be eliminated.
“This week was just a bit of an off week, nothing really went for me and couldn’t get anything going,” said the World Number Four.
“I couldn’t get anything going on the greens and today was just typical of that. I didn’t quite have the enthusiasm going out there when you know you are struggling to make putts – even the good putts are not going in. It was just one of those weeks.”
Elsewhere, Scott Drummond, the winner of the 2005 Volvo PGA Championship, and 2004 Celtic Manor Wales Open champion Simon Khan are both set to lose their cards despite valiant final round efforts.
Drummond needed a top six finish with his five year exemption ending this season and carded a final round 66 to finish at 10 under to provisionally move into a tie for 10th.
A devastated Khan posted a final round 64 to finish at eight under par with a top ten finish a minimum requirement.
“It is the time this season when things have come together and I have played the round I know I can play,” he said. “I gave it everything I had.”
